HTC builds a standalone VR / AR headset to rival the Meta Quest Pro - Engadget

Years aft unofficially exiting the user VR abstraction successful favour of enterprise products, HTC has returned with its archetypal standalone headset for consumers. The Vive XR Elite is simply a $1,100 flagship for VR and passthrough mixed world (MR). Although that pushes it acold past the terms scope of the $400 Meta Quest 2, HTC’s merchandise compares much favorably connected insubstantial with the pricey Meta Quest Pro.

The Vive XR Elite has a 4K show with a 90Hz refresh complaint and a 110-degree tract of presumption (FOV). It includes 4 wide-FOV cameras, enabling inside-out spatial tracking without outer sensors. The merchandise ships with 2 wireless controllers and supports manus tracking. Additionally, a full-color RGB camera allows passthrough MR that lets you blend virtual experiences with your real-world surroundings.

The headset weighs 625g (about 13 percent lighter than the Quest Pro), including its hot-swappable artillery connected the back. HTC says this placement helps equilibrium the headset’s weight. The artillery provides an estimated 2 hours of usage and supports 30-watt accelerated charging via USB-C. Additionally, the headset has a built-in retractable charging cablegram connected its close side, making it casual to plug into a powerfulness slope oregon hose spot (if you privation to beryllium the VR weirdo connected your adjacent flight).

HTC

HTC says the XR Elite has ample speakers supporting directional audio. In addition, the headset’s lenses person a dial that adjusts for prescription, allowing visually challenged folks to instrumentality disconnected their glasses earlier playing. Strangely, HTC says you tin region the battery, acceptable the headset with temple pads and deterioration it arsenic regular glasses. (That sounds similar an unusual manner choice.) The institution besides says an add-on Face and Eye Tracker accessory volition get aboriginal this year.

Although HTC has a coagulated way grounds with VR hardware, contented and selling are its biggest challenges. In the 9 years since Meta (Facebook astatine the time) bought Oculus, it has bought VR studios, made exclusive deals with others and sunk countless advertizing dollars into its brand. Although there’s plentifulness to knock astir Meta’s concern practices, the institution has stockpiled an unmatched room of virtual games and experiences. HTC has tried to vie with its Viveport subscription service, but its headset inactive launches astatine a important contented disadvantage.

Some of those contented gaps tin beryllium filled with PC support. The XR Elite connects wirelessly oregon with a USB-C cablegram to play PCVR games from Steam and Viveport. You tin besides watercourse contented from a compatible Android telephone to the headset to ticker videos connected a virtual large screen. (Here's the implicit database of supported phones.) The institution says you tin besides link a Bluetooth controller to play gamepad-friendly smartphone games.

HTC

HTC says 100 games and experiences volition get wrong the headset’s motorboat window. Listed motorboat titles see Demeo, Hubris, Yuki, Maestro, Les Mills Body Combat, FigminXR, Unplugged and Finger Gun. The institution adds that Everslaught: Invasion and the afloat MR crippled Eggscape volition get aboriginal successful the year.

Engadget’s Sam Rutherford is trying the headset aboriginal contiguous and volition stock his impressions soon. Meanwhile, you tin pre-order the Vive XR Elite from the company website starting today. HTC estimates that aboriginal purchases volition statesman shipping successful precocious February.